High-tech manufacturing and green technologies strengthen China’s global business appeal

Islamabad, Nov 03,2026:   China’s growing emphasis on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI) and green technologies is attracting international business interest, as the 140th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, showcases the country’s expanding technological capabilities and innovation-driven industrial development.

The fair, marking its 70th anniversary, reflects China’s evolving manufacturing model, with automation, digitalisation and sustainable production becoming increasingly important to global trade. According to media reports, the first phase concluded in Guangzhou with 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions, an increase of 13.3% over the corresponding phase of the previous spring session.

More than 12,000 Chinese companies participated in the first phase, including over 6,000 high-quality enterprises recognised for technological innovation and specialised products. Across the fair, around 64% of exhibitors use technologies such as AI and the industrial internet, while new and green products account for 23.2% and 26% of exhibits, respectively.

The event also featured 22 smart application scenarios, 16 AI applications and plans for more than 700 new product launch events, highlighting the growing integration of advanced technologies into manufacturing and international commerce.

Business and industry leaders say China’s industrial transformation is reshaping global supply chains and providing developing economies, including Pakistan, with greater scope for technology transfer, industrial partnerships and participation in higher-value manufacturing.

Nosherwan Khalil Khan, President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), told Wealth Pakistan that the Canton Fair was an important platform for promoting international trade, strengthening business-to-business connections and facilitating industrial cooperation.

He said RCCI regularly facilitated the participation of its member companies in the fair, held twice a year in spring and autumn, to connect Pakistani businesses with international markets, emerging technologies and potential investment partners.

Khan said China’s transition towards advanced manufacturing, AI, automation and green technologies was reshaping global supply chains and creating greater scope for trade, technology transfer and joint ventures.

For Pakistan and other developing economies, he said, this transformation could help modernise industrial processes, improve productivity, enhance product quality and strengthen export competitiveness.

He emphasised that Pakistani businesses should use the Canton Fair not only to source machinery and advanced technologies but also to establish strategic partnerships, attract investment, promote joint ventures and develop domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Khan also highlighted the importance of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which require better access to modern machinery, technical expertise, affordable financing and international markets to compete effectively.

He said deeper Pakistan-China business collaboration could help diversify Pakistan’s export base, promote value addition and integrate local industries into global value chains.

Converting trade relationships into long-term industrial partnerships could accelerate industrial modernisation, generate employment and support the development of a more sustainable, export-oriented economy, he added.

Omais Khattak, President of the Islamabad Industrial Association, told Wealth Pakistan that China’s industrial transformation was fundamentally changing global trade by shifting the emphasis from cost-based competition towards value addition and innovation.

He said the evolution of the Canton Fair demonstrated the growing importance of technology transfer, joint ventures and participation in high-value supply chains for developing economies seeking to expand industrial production and strengthen international competitiveness.

Khattak said Pakistan could capitalise on these developments by connecting its Special Economic Zones under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with Chinese SMEs exploring green and technology-driven industrial relocation.

He said closer industrial cooperation could support the development of domestic manufacturing capabilities while helping Pakistani enterprises adopt advanced production technologies and improve efficiency.

Promoting local production of high-tech components and upgrading industrial capabilities to meet global environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements could also help Pakistan diversify its exports and strengthen its position in international markets, he added.

The Canton Fair’s increasing focus on advanced manufacturing, AI and sustainable technologies reflects China’s broader industrial transformation and its growing influence on international production and trade patterns.

For Pakistan, business leaders said, translating these developments into lasting economic gains would require stronger technology partnerships, greater local value addition and closer integration into high-value global supply chains.